1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaning device, an image forming apparatus, and a process cartridge that includes the cleaning device.
2. Discussion of Background
In an image forming apparatus, a toner image is formed on an image carrier such as a photosensitive member or an intermediate transfer member. The toner image formed on the image carrier is transferred to a receiving member such as a recording medium or other image carriers. A cleaning device removes residual toner that was not transferred to the transferred member.
Japan Laid-Open Patent Publication no. 2000-338819 shows a cleaning device including a brush that removes residual toner on a surface of a photosensitive member while supplying a lubricant to the surface of the photosensitive member. By supplying the lubricant to the surface of the photosensitive member, it is able to remove residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member easily, and it is able to prevent toner from adhering to the surface of the photosensitive member. In addition, it is able to decrease damage to the surface of the photosensitive member. The brush has a function of cleaning and scratching off residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive member, and a function of supplying the lubricant to the surface of the photosensitive member. The brush supplies the lubricant to the surface of the photosensitive member on which residual toner remains. In this cleaning device, the brush can change the supply of the lubricant when the amount of residual toner changes based on an image area rate or an efficiency of transferring.
Japan Laid-Open Patent Publication no. 2005-315912 shows a cleaning device including a cleaning brush to remove residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member and a lubricant supplying brush to supply a lubricant to the surface of the photosensitive member. The lubricant supplying brush supplies the lubricant to the surface of the photosensitive member after the cleaning brush removes residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member. Thus, this cleaning device can reduce the influence of the amount of residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member on the performance of supplying the lubricant.
The present inventors, however, found that this cleaning member can not maintain a suitable amount of lubricant applied to the surface of the photosensitive member when the rotation frequency of the photosensitive member changes.